Chemical brick-molding machine.



T. M. CURD,

CHEMICAL BRiCK MOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man MAY 23. 1917.-

1,246,722. Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 sugars-shin 1.

E L S s.

UNITED STATESPATENT THOMAS MURRAY CURDQOF-MURRAY, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OEONE-TENELBJ- r0 JAMEs'D. MQLEOD, o1? MUnnAY, KEN'IJUGKY.

l CHEMICAL BEICKJEOLDING MACHINE.

1 Specification of Letters Patent. PatentedN'ov, 13, 1917,

Application filed May 23, 1917. Serial No. 170,456.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs MURRAY Conn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Murray,-in the county of Galloway and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chemical Brick-Molding Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a chemical brick molding machine.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of brick moldin machines and to provide a simple, practical and efficient pressed brick molding machine of strong, durable and comparatively ineX- pensive construction designed principally for use in chemical work and adapted to per- -mit a Wagon or wheeled platformto be run into or beneath it andto' support the brick molds in position for pressing the brick and equipped with means for locking the platthe pressureis being applied, to preventthe pressure from being transmitted to the trucks and subjecting the latter to the strain} incident to the same.

A further object of the invention, is to provide a pressed brick molding machine of this character capable of enabling the press ing operation to be rapidly effected and adapted to yieldably support the brick molds so that the pressure will be gradually, uniformly and effectively applied.

Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resort-ed to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a brick molding machine constructed in is illustrated thepreferred embodiment of the invention, the brick molding machine comprises in its construction a supporting frame'composed of spaced sides 1 and connecting end and top portions 2 and 3 suitably secured to the sides of'thc frame and forming a rigid structure and preferably constituting a casing for protecting the mechanism, but'the supporting frame may I of course be constructed in-any desired manform of the wagon or wheeled frame, while her, and it is provided atthe end edges of horizontally swinging locking devices 5 'of a wheeled platform '6 having suitable side supporting members 7 and constituting a wheeled frame or car for transporting the mold box and the clay to and from the molding machine. The wheels 9 are shown in the form of car wheels and arranged to run on railslO 'of a track, but any other form of car or carriage may of course be pro vided. 'The horizontally swinging locking devices have hinged joints 11 connecting them to attaching plates 12 which are secured to the platform of the car at the ends thereof and at opposite sides of the same as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The locking devices 5 are adapted to be swung into and out of engagement with the recesses 4 and they are retained in such engagement by pivoted gravity latches 13 consisting of bars pivoted at their upper ends at 14 and arranged to swing upwardly and downwardly into and out of engagement with the horizontally swinging locking devices. When the locking devices are in enga'gement with the recesses, they are adapted to support the platform rigid with the sides of the supporting frame and they prevent the strai i G Cl Q t0 the pressing of handle 24.

bricks from being transmitted to the trucks of the car, which are thereby relieved of such strain and pressure.

Carried by the car is a yieldably mounted box or casing 1 F supported by coiled springs 15 and consisting of a bottom and side and end walls, the coiled springs 15 being interposed between the bottom of the box or casing 142 and the platform 6 of the car. The springs are maintained in proper position by means of bolts 16 extending through the platform and piercing the bottom of the yieldably mounted box or casing and having heads at their upper ends arranged in recesses of an auxiliary bottom board or section 17 of the box or casing 14 The supplemental or auxiliary bottom board or sec tion 17 is arranged upon the bottom of the box or casing and the bolts are provided at their lower ends with nuts 18 preferably arranged in recesses 19 of the platform at the lower face thereof.

The box or casing, which may be of any desired size, receives a mold box 20 composed of a bottom and side and end Walls and provided with longitudinal and transverse partitions 21 and 22 which form the brick molds. Any desired number of the brick molds may of course be employed and the walls of the yieldably mounted casing or box H preferably extend above the walls of the mold box which is adapted to be readily lifted out of the box or casing by means of hooks'23 consisting of L-shaped shanks and an approximately U-shaped The Lshaped shanks extend downwardly between the mold boxand the yieldably mounted box or casing and then inwardly beneath the mold box and the handles extend outwardly beyond the yieldably mounted box or casing in order to enable them to be readily grasped for lifting the mold box which snugly ts the box or casing 1%. The mold box and the casing are provided with recesses 25 and 26 and the supplemental board or bottom 17 is also provided in its upper face with end recesses 27 to receive the inwardly projecting supporting portions of the L-shaped shanks. The handles extend outwardly and the upper edges of the box or casing are provided with notches 28 to receive the handle port-ions of the lifting hooks. The said L-shaped shanks have vertical and horizontal port-ions, the vertical portion being arranged in the re cesses 25 and 26 and the handle fitting in the recess 28, while the horizontal portion of the said L-shaped shanks extends in wardly in the recess 27 and is located beneath the end of the mold box.

The pressure is applied to the clay, or other material to be molded, by means of a vertically movable plunger frame 29 of general oblong form to conform to the configuration of the main frame and provided with a horizontal bottom 30 of a size to fit within the yieldably mounted box or casing and engage the material of the mold box. By this construction the clay is subjected to the pressure of the plunger frame and is compressed between the same and the supporting springs which will cause a yieldable uniform pressure to be applied to the material. The plunger frame 29 is raised and lowered by means of gears or pinions 31 mounted on and meshing with centrally arranged side racks 32 of the plunger frame and mounted on horizontal shafts 33 located in the same horizontal plane and extending longitudinally of the frame in parallelism and journa-led in suitable bearings of the main or supporting frame 1. The horizontal shafts, which extend beyond the frame at one end thereof, are provided with operating cranks 34, but any other suitable means may of course be employed for rotating the shafts, and this operation may be effected either by hand or a suitable motor or other power. The plunger frame, which is provided with vertical slots or openings 85 for the shafts 33, is guided in its ver ical movement by vertical racks 36 mounted in the main frame at the corners thereof and meshing with gears or pinions 37 of the plunger frame. The gears or pin ions 37 are mounted on transverse shafts 38 journaled in suitable bearings of the sides of the plunger frame and extending entirely across the same and projecting from opposite sidesthereof, but the pinions 37 may be mounted in any other desired man ner. The gears 37, which have their side faces in parallelism with the sides of the plunger frame, hold the latter against movement longitudinally of the main frame, and the side racks and pinions prevent any lateral movement of the plunger frame. By this construction, the plunger frame is accurately guided in its vertical movement. The main frame is also preferably provided with a central bearing or hanger 39 secured to and depending from the top of the main frame and provided with bearing openings 40 through which the horizontal operating shafts pass. The hanger is preferably provided at the top with studs 41 which are fitted in suitable openings of the main frame and secured to the latter, but any other suitable means may be employed for mounting the hanger. While the machine is designed especially for molding bricks in chemical works it may be of course employed for molding any other suitable material, such as clay.

.Vhat is claimed is:

1. A brick molding machine including a main frame, a wheeled frame or platform movable into and out of the main frame, said wheeled frame or platform and main frame having coacting interlocking means for supporting the platform, a plunger located within the main frame and movable upwardly and downwardly for exerting pressure on the mate ial carried by the wheeled frame or platform, and means for operating the plunger.

2. A brick molding machine including a main frame, a wheeled platform movable into and out of the main frame and provided with looking devices arranged to on gage the main frame to relieve the wheels of pressure, a mold box carried by the platform, and a plunger operating within the main frame and cooperating with the mold box.

3. A brick molding machine including a main frame having spaced sides provided *ith recesses, a wheeled platform movable into and out of the main frame and having horizontally swinging locking devices for engaging the said recesses, pivoted gravity latches for retaining the locking devices in the recesses, a mold box carried by the platform, and a plunger mounted Within the main frame and cooperating with the mold box.

a. A brick molding machine including a main frame having spaced sides, a platform provided with means for engaging the sides of the main frame, a mold box, means for yieldably mounting the mold box upon the platform, a plunger movable upwardly and downwardly in the frame, and means for raising and lowering the plunger.

5. A brick molding machine including main frame having spaced sides, a platform provided with means for engaging the sides of the main frame, a mold box, means for yieldably mounting the mold box upon the platform, a plunger movable upwardly and downwardly in the frame, rack bars carried by the plunger, and horizontal shafts having gears meshing with the rack bars for raising and lowering the plunger.

6. A brick molding machine including a main frame, a platform, means for mounting the plat-form within the main frame and for removing the same therefrom, a box or casing, coiled springs interposed between the box or casing and the platform for cushioning the former, a mold box removably arranged within the said box or casing, and a plunger mounted within the main frame and cooperating with the mold box.

7. A molding machine including a main frame, a platform movable into and out of platform with the main frame, a box or casing carried by the platform and having a supplemental bottom, bolts piercing the supplemental bottom, the box or casing and the platform, springs supported by the bolts and interposed between the platform and the box or casing, a mold box arranged Within the box or casing, and a plunger mounted within the main frame and cooperating with the mold box.

8. A brick molding machine including a main frame, a mold box removably supported within the main frame, a vertically movable plunger frame provided with rack bars, gearing meshing with the rack bars for raising and lowering the plunger frame, gears carried by the plunger frame at the corners thereof, and rack bars to the main frame and meshing with the gears for guiding the plunger frame in its upward and downward movements.

9. A brick molding machine including a main frame provided with corner rack bars; a vertically movable plunger frame operating within the main frame and having gears or pinions meshing with the corner rack bars, said plunger frame being also provided with centrally arranged rack bars and having vertical slots or openings, horizontal shafts mounted in the main frame and extending through the slots or openings of the plunger frame and having gears or pinions meshing with the centrally arranged rack bars, and a mold box movable into and out of the main frame to cooperate with'the plunger frame.

10. A brick molding machine including a box or casing provided with vertical reoesses and having horizontal extensions at the lower ends thereof, said box or casing being adapted to receive a brick mold box, and lifting hooks having approximately L shaped shanks arranged in the said recesses and adapted to extend beneath the mold box, said lifting hooks having outwardly extending handle portions.

11. A molding machine including a box or casing, a mold box arranged within the box or casing, lifting hooks having shanks extending downwardly between the mold box and the box or casing and projecting beneath the said mold box and having outwardly extending handle portions.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS MURRAY OURD.

lVitnesses:

E. S. DINGEN, J r., J. E. WILKINSON.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

